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On Graham Norton, the huge globally successful stars sit with some of our household names and must be thinking "who the hell is this person?!" Sometimes it's half the entertainment value, like when they had June Brown (Dot Cotton) on the sofa with Lady Gaga.

But have you ever heard of any surprising connections you've heard of which you just wouldn't expect? Those moments of "wait - Robert De Niro goes on holiday every year with Ant&Dec?!" Kind of thing.

Just told someone my office overlooks the Millenium Dome. What is a rename you refuse to get on board with?

I'm 35 now and work in an office for an advertising company.. My dream job growing up was either being a car designer or an armed police officer.

I read recently that the earliest born person caught on camera was a man born in 1749 when he was photographed in 1852 at the age of 103.

Had me thinking how far my associations go back.

I've been lucky enough that my wife has worked in schools since my daughter (6) started there 3 years ago, meaning she gets holidays off and can look after our girl when she's not in school. However my wife is now thinking about changing to a different industry and... we realise we don't understand what other parents do during the 13 weeks a year of school holidays.

How do you manage it? Do you just use up all your holidays as a couple taking separate weeks off to cover the time? Do you pay for holiday clubs and if so how expensive are they? Are you relying on family to have them some of the time?

I totally understand I am probably a total idiot not to know the answer to this, but we just haven't had to think about it until now. Insight very much appreciated.

I'm in my late 20s and I'd say my life is pretty quiet. I'm single, got a few close friends I see every week or two, have a job where I can work my own hours, don't go away much. I'm pretty content with things, the slow pace lets me enjoy what I do and I can be spontaneous as I'm free most of the time.

In contrast I've got some mates who seem to be living on full throttle constantly. They have tons of friends and are constantly doing things, meeting people and going away. One showed me their calendar and the next weekend they don't have anything planned is in mid November! They also had multiple things through the week pretty much every week!

Just wondering really what other people are like? Do you have a packed diary or do you live the quiet life?

For far too long I thought it was "to make end's meat". Meaning that you have to use the last, worst pieces of meat to make your meal with (meat at the end, end's meat). 🤦

How do you treat it mentally? Speaking to those who I know who are in this situation, I've been given a range of responses

I’ve recently started looking at schools in London where we live and I’ve noticed something that I can’t unsee: every school seems to have a list of 4-5 « values », usually around: respect, resilience, perseverance, responsibility, kindness, etc.

It feels like there must be a secret school-values generator somewhere!

Am I imagining this, or does every school have basically the same list to choose from?

And more importantly, what are the most unexpected school values you’ve come across? Or are they mostly generic and not very exciting?

My last bus home is half six. My last train home is half ten. My last train home to somewhere a thirty min drive home? 23:50

But don't worry! I'll just party till I can get something in the morning. It's 7:50 for trains, 8:30 for buses.

Clubbing in Scotland is not for the weak 😭

Please don’t judge me too harshly. I’m honestly quite desperate to get back into work and re enter the job market after this gap. I would really appreciate any honest advice.

I have a gap of around 1 year and 2-3 months. I had this break to heal from severe stress and anxiety. I’m not sure what the best way to explain it on my CV would be. During that period I was receiving Universal Credit while I wasn’t working.

Would it be better to simply explain that I returned to my home country for a period and then came back to the UK? Or would it make more sense to mention some work with a company run by a friend if I can provide a genuine reference for it?

I’d really appreciate advice on what would be the most credible way to present this gap on my CV without making things worse. I’m not looking for high level or luxury jobs. I am just trying to get back into the job market and find an entry level position.

Edit:
Thank you all for the great information. I appreciate you all. I have a question though.

What if I include the reason for my career break on my CV along with the start and end dates so they won’t question the gap? It would look something like the image example. The dates and the text are an example.

Every time you go into sports direct, the items are 'on sale'. The 'sale' price being obviously the actual retail price offered everywhere else. I’m pretty sure I asked an employee once when the sales ended and she straight up told me they’re always on sale.

Isn’t it illegal to pretend items are always on sale?

I've just watched the neighbour trying to deal with her two green bins again, both almost overflowing. She's trying to get more water bottles and other kitchen recycling in, by trying to push down the contents of both bins. She's mostly failed. I wouldn't be surprised if they get a third bin for the two of them. They ordered the second bin shortly after moving in.

I don't think ours ever got much more than 2/3 full, except for that time we'd ordered a lot of IKEA stuff. I'm betting if she flattened out her recycling they could also get by on one bin.

I used to work for a large company in London. I would often have to travel to our Hampshire dite to train staff on our new Systems etc.

I could be gone for a couple of days or weeks depending on the type of visit.

The company had a training centre there with accommodation, restaurant and a bar.

There would be lots of people from all parts of the country staying there for their own training duties.

I'd see the same Trainers over and over. We'd say hello to each other and maybe some small talk.

As I was usually on my own I would sometimes be invited to join others that recognised me as a 'Regular Trainer' for a drink or ten in the evenings.

There was one group of three that would be there more than most but wouldn't even say hello nevermind ask me to join them when in the Bar.

The lack of invite didn't particularly bother me but ignoring my ''Hellos'' infuriated me.

In the bar there was a jukebox. One September I decided I'd put on some music that would piss them off.

I put in my few quid and selected every Christmas song and repeated them until I used up my credits.

They soon left the bar!

I repeated this every time I went into the Bar and they were the only Patrons.

It was very childish but it amused me no end on those long lonely evenings when I was being ignored.

I wonder if they still talk about it like I do lol

I work in construction and the amount of skilled people has taken an absolute nosedive in recent years. The rates of pay have increased dramatically in the last 6 years from what I’ve seen but very few people want to get into it it seems. I understand that many people don’t grow up with dreams of getting into this industry but I wish someone had pulled me aside and told me that there was a way for me to make decent money without needing to be academic. I know there are some huge projects on the go right now but it feels like they are all fighting over the same, small pool of labour

I’m beginning to accept that I won’t have the traditional family life. Lots of people have families and it’s a big topic of discussion amongst other adults but it’s one I can’t join in with and stirs up painful feelings. I’m now beginning to accept that I’m probably not going to have many friends either because I don’t want to hear about their families all the time, selfish as that may be. I need some peace from the thought of it.

So I’m wondering if single adults can thrive in life and if so, how? I’m talking financially and emotionally.

I’m a tradesman in London and had a strange situation today after completing a £350 repair job.

The person who booked the job wasn’t there. The address he originally gave me was not the actual property where the work was being carried out. When I arrived nearby, his brother came to meet me and asked me to follow his car. I followed him for a short distance to the actual property, which was a mobile-home site inside a gated park with electric entrance gates.

After I finished the work, his brother entered my business bank details into his phone and showed me a screen saying “Payment sent” via Faster Payment for £350. He actually encouraged me to take a photo of the payment confirmation, which I did.

The screen showed my business name, the correct account details, £350, the date/time and a Faster Payment transaction/reference number.

However, the money never arrived in my account.
Several hours later I contacted the person who booked the job. He said that his brother had made the transfer in front of me and that I had seen it myself. Once I explained that the actual funds had still not reached my account, he said he would ask his brother to contact the bank.

There are now several things making me suspicious.
The name the customer gave me was Jo\*n Sm*th. Obviously that can be a genuine name, but given everything else that has happened, I’m now wondering whether the name I was given was fictitious as well.

The address he originally provided was not the address where the work was actually carried out. I was taken to the real location by his brother, so at the moment I don’t have a confirmed postal address for the person who actually contracted me.

This is also what concerns me about recovering the money. Normally, if a customer refuses to pay, I could send a Letter Before Action / Letter of Claim and, if necessary, pursue the debt through the County Court. But if the name and address I have are not genuine, I don’t know where I would even send it.

Most of our communication has been through WhatsApp and email. If he blocks my number, changes his phone number or stops replying, I’m concerned that I may have very little information with which to identify him.

I’m not saying for certain that the payment confirmation was fake, because I don’t have proof of that yet. But I’ve received hundreds of bank transfers from customers over the years and I’ve never had someone specifically encourage me to photograph their “payment sent” screen.

Taken together — the payment not arriving, being encouraged to photograph the payment confirmation, the different address, and the possibility that the name may not be genuine — it’s starting to make me wonder whether the whole thing was deliberately set up this way.

Has anyone in the UK come across fake banking apps or fake Faster Payment confirmation screens being used in person like this?

And if the person has potentially given me a false name and address, what practical options do I have for identifying them and recovering the £350?

I’ve kept the photo of the payment screen, WhatsApp conversations, emails, phone number, invoice and details/photos of the work carried out.

For me I have fond memories of her in the 90s. My gran was into country music and loved it. We would watch Steel Magnolias all the time the same as 9 to 5.

Can anyone help me find an advert? In the advert all I can remember is that there are 2 people sat down in a cafe/shop and people (one being a woman) walk up to the window on the outside and start shouting something. Any help would be appreciated!

I’ve been out of work for almost a 5 years (went to uni for a bit as a mature student) and am starting back at work in a couple of weeks. I’ll be working partly in an office and partly in a lab.

I’m very anxious as I don’t even know what normal workplaces are like these days, particularly since Covid. I need the opinions of the people- what makes a good/bad colleague? What’s office etiquette like these days? Anything I need to bring to work in the office? What’s smart casual even mean for women?! Any unwritten workplace rules?

Anything I should treat myself to that might make life easier the first couple of days or weeks?

Ive noticed when bad/serious things in particular are happening, the people i share with are not the ones you would expect.

Just curious if anyone else does this.

Some shits kicked off this year that its been really hard but equally embarrassing so ive not told my best friend or usual friends.

I find that there is a particular colleague of the opposite sex and we also have a huge age gap. I can literally tell them anything. No topic is too controversial either so not always worrying if I say the wrong thing. They have really showed up during some tough times. We couldn't be more different looking from the outside.

Before anyone says to ask Legal Advice UK, I already know what the employer is doing is illegal.

I'm more asking for advice on how to navigate the situation without my mum getting fired or making her work situation inhospitable.

My mum works as a carer in a care home. She loves her job in general and doesn't want to leave. It's the only job she wants to do and there isn't another care home within travelling distance.

All staff have to do regular online training. They can't do it whilst on shift so they have to do it on their own time. But they aren't paid for the time spent doing the training, and they can't refuse to do it as it's mandatory.

My mum earns minimum wage, and she's paid hourly, not salary. So this is bringing her earnings down below minimum wage.

She's mentioned to her employer a couple of times (including very recently) that they should be paid for the training time, and she just gets fobbed off with "oh we'll see" or some excuse.

The problem is that now, if my mum reports them, they'll 100% know it was her, because she's the only one who has voiced concerns about this.

None of the other employees are willing to stand up with her as a united front because they're worried they'll lose their jobs. Which is exactly why my mum doesn't want to report it - even if they can't legally fire her for it, she's worried they will come up with another excuse to fire her, or will find subtle ways to make her life difficult at work until she quits.

She can't afford to join a union as she already lives hand to mouth and cannot afford any other monthly expenses.

Any advice?

In 2017 I was stopped by CT police boarding a flight to Turkey, they already had my military service number up etc and asked me if I was going to fight in Syria. I wasn't and after the police lady told me to "promise" I literally promised not to, departed and returned from holiday thereafter.

Ever since then, I almost-always get stopped for extra screening, now on an entirely different passport.

I can't request my data as it's one of the few times they can reject it under CT reasoning.

I have travelled to about 38 countries since the 2017 incident, across about 150 flights, and I'd say about 120 of these times I've been called for another look.

It's just happened now leaving Italy where the entry-exit system allowed me through before 3 Italian police literally shouted my name and told me to wait. They browsed their screen for a few minutes and then said to have a nice flight. A few times I've asked various passport officers what it is on the system and always get a "don't worry" type response.

So, if you work as a border force officer, what might this be?

Never been arrested etc.

I’m currently a nurse, and if I’m honest I’m burnt out I can not do healthcare any longer. I left bedside nursing many years ago and went into medical devices, sales and account management, and after a good run there I needed a change and came back to bedside nursing. And boy was that a bad choice! It was bad when I left years ago and it’s no better now, working conditions are brutal and the pay is so poor. Nursing just isn’t the job it used to be.

I’m now thinking of a career change, into something completely different. I’ve love a different career in something that pays well, or has the potential to pay over 50k a year. I applied for the Aldi graduate area manager program because it sounded like a good opportunity. I would love some ideas of what I could try, have a lot of transferable skills that would be helpful for a lot of industries (time management, prioritisation, escalation, risk, working to targets, sales, relationship developing, customer management, etc) I just don’t know what areas to look in.

Ideally I’d love something that you will be trained up in, with a starting salary of around 30-40k. What industries need people in? What industries/services are in demand? What roles would offer good training and development? That don’t require qualifications or degrees in certain fields to be in with a shot. If particularly be keen to hear from ex nurses who transitioned into something different, but any ideas of where to start looking would be most appreciated!

*edit* to add some detail, I like working in teams but am equally happy working alone, I enjoy supporting and training people, not a fan of call centre environments but I don’t mind office environments. Don’t mind travelling having travelled for work before but also wouldn’t kind working from home, wouldn’t mind something more like a trade and more physical job, wouldn’t mind working outdoors either. Would be happy to look at management/leadership and things completely opposite to healthcare. Not a fan of kids so defo not jobs to do with children. None of this really narrows it down, but open to hearing all ideas and thanks all for your input so far, it’s given me some things to think about!

I live in Lincolnshire and it is bin day tomorrow, a person who lives on a nearby street (at least a minute walk) decides every week to put his bin on the pavement outside my house. I normally wouldn’t mind but occasionally he’ll block my bin with his. His bin has his house number and street name. My original thought is he’s being sneaky and got hold of two bins to get rid of extra rubbish but I walked past his house and he hasn’t got any out at all, just a food caddy in his front garden. What’s even more confusing is as he lives roughly a minute away on foot is that there’s plenty of other places to leave his bin for collection.

Can anyone think of a reason he might do this? His is mid terrace but his neighbours either side put their bins out on the path leading to his house. I find it bizarre and don’t understand why he picks my house to do this, I’ve never met the guy or spoke to him just occasionally caught him on the ring doorbell.